Ice, Wind and Cold Can't Beat Clean Snowmobile Challenge Winners

Students work to make quieter and cleaner sleds as part of a SAE International university
competition. This year's winners are École De Technologie Supérieure, University of
Wisconsin–Madison and Michigan Tech.

Students had to battle ice, wind gusts greater than 50 miles per hour and single digit
temperatures at this year's Clean Snowmobile Challenge hosted by Michigan Technological
University. Despite the challenges, the teams—hailing from many northern US and Canadian
universities—overcame the wintery conditions. Michigan Tech won first place in the
zero emissions category, and École De Technologie Supérieure won the diesel utility
class and tied with the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the internal combustion
class.

The Clean Snowmobile Challenge is hosted by Michigan Tech’s Keweenaw Research Center and the Department of Mechanical
Engineering –Engineering Mechanics. The events and tests are held north of Houghton
at the Keweenaw Research Center, where student teams run a gambit of tests ranging
from an endurance run to oral presentations to exhaust emissions measurements. On
Saturday morning, only four sleds started in the bitter cold; one electric, diesel,
and two internal combustion sleds using batteries, B15 biodiesel and E59 gasoline
(59 percent ethanol), respectively.

Winners

This year, 13 teams competed with internal combustion engines, six with diesel engines
and five with electric sleds—a record number of competitors. The overall winners are:
internal combustion—École De Technologie Supérieure (tied for first), University of
Wisconsin–Madison (tied for first) and the University of Minnesota–Duluth (third);
diesel—École De Technologie Supérieure (first), North Dakota State University (second)
and University at Buffalo (third); zero emissions—Michigan Tech (first), Clarkson
University (second).

By winning first place in the internal combustion class, École De Technologie Supérieure
earned the traveling MacLean-Fogg Cup and the International Snowmobile Manufacturers
Association award for first place. They succeeded in developing a quiet but feasible
design, winning awards for PCB's quietest snowmobile CAMSO trac, BRC's most practical
design, Polaris' best handling and Mahle's best engine design.

The University of Wisconsin­–Madison once again set the bar for low emissions in internal
combustion engines, tying for first place; they have earned first place three years
running now. They also took home awards for lowest in service emissions sponsored
by Sensors, Inc., along with AVL's best emissions winner and Gage's best fuel economy
winner.

Michigan Tech's electric sled took first place in the zero emissions class.

The zero emissions category, which covers electric snowmobiles, posed a major challenge
and only two teams were able to pass technical inspections. Michigan Tech won the
John Deere Electronic Solutions award for first place; Clarkson University took second
place. The category is of interest to many research organizations seeking ways to
travel in polar regions without contaminating experiment samples; electric sleds could
also be useful for remote travel where fuel is difficult to come by, but charging
stations would be available.

Growing in competition—up from only two teams competing last year—the diesel utility
class represents a unique group, one that students say focuses on hard work over performance,
which is important for agricultural and small-engine based industries. École De Technologie
Supérieure placed first, receiving the John Deere Power Systems award; North Dakota
State University and University at Buffalo were close behind. Kettering University's
team took home an EControls Can-Do E-Controls award.

The University of Minnesota–Duluth took third place in the internal combustion category
and also won SAE International's best design award and Faurecia's most innovative
emissions design. They also took home DENSO's innovation award, EControls CAN-DO E-Controls
and a portable five-gas analyzer from Horiba worth $5,000 to help them in future years.

The Rochester Institute of Technology's internal combustion team also took home an
EControls Can-Do E-Controls award. The University of Idaho won both EMITECH's best
value award and Woody's best acceleration award. Clarkson University won CAMSO's best
performance winner, taking home a CAMSO trac.

Next Year

For 15 years, the Keweenaw Research Center has hosted the Clean Snowmobile Challenge.
The first three years were held in and around Yellowstone National Park, sparked by
discussions of excluding recreational snowmobile access. The industry responded by
working with the Environmental Protection Agency to develop emissions and noise standards
that require snowmobiles to be clean and quiet. To win in this event, the students
competing in the internal combustion category have to beat those standards to score,
while using ethanol-based fuel ranging from E10 to E85, similar to flex-fuel cars.
Next year’s event is scheduled for March 5-10, 2018.

Michigan Technological University is a public research university, home to more than
7,000 students from 60 countries around the world. Founded in 1885, the University
offers more than 120 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science and technology,
engineering, forestry, business and economics, health professions, humanities, mathematics,
and social sciences. Our beautiful campus in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula overlooks
the Keweenaw Waterway and is just a few miles from Lake Superior.

Thanks to Sponsors

The cost to put on the week-long challenge is approximately $200,000. Of that approximately
80 percent comes from industry partners, 10 percent comes from local partners, and
10 percent comes from the snowmobile manufacturers, clubs and associations.

About the Researcher

Jay Meldrum

About the Author

Allison Mills

A through and through geek, Allison writes university research stories. She studied
geoscience as an undergrad at Northland College before getting a master's in environmental
science and natural resource journalism at the University of Montana. She moonlights
as a dance instructor, radio fiend, and occasional rock licker.